Camille Morvan Libros

For decades, social scientists had used a mythical figure to describe how humans make decisions: homo economicus. He was logical and conscientious. To make a decision, he would evaluate all the options open to him, then choose the most rational course of action.

Why do we attempt to justify decisions that are clearly irrational? The answer lies in cognitive dissonance, the feeling of mental discomfort we experience when we hold two contradictory beliefs at the same time.